An Austere Beginning
by Dubious Personality
Summary: Ash doesn't have a seemingly infinite amount of resources, and his mother is a single, unemployed mother who has mostly relied on her deceased husband's money to support her and Ash. The money is beginning to run dry, and an early tragedy forces Ash to grow even faster if he wants to live a stable lifestyle. Smart Ash, no pairing as of yet. Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
1. Its a Start

**Hello everyone! This is my first chapter of "An Austere Beginning". A story that actually brings some attention to how a trainer can financially manage their adventure, and how Ash would be forced to plan. This planning would bleed through his battling style, and I am going to give my best to write great fighting scenes that shows this. ****Ash will not have overpowered Pokémon, and all other characters in this story will also be stronger. The best fights are the ones where both sides are almost equal, though I will have a few fights where Ash completely pwns his opponent. Those fights will not even occasionally happen. ****When i start to write action scenes, I am praying that I can write reasonable, yet intense, fights.**

**I hope everyone enjoys my story. **

**This is my first REAL attempt at writing a story, so reviews would be very much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

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An alarm blared loudly, waking a 14-year-old Ash from his dreamless sleep. He quickly turned off his alarm and fell back asleep.

"Wake up Ash! You get your first Pokémon today!" Delia Ketchum shouted from the kitchen. A sweet, delicious aroma already filled the air with a sizzling sound buzzing in the background.

"I'm up!" Ash shot out of his bed. He needed to quickly reach Professor Oak's lab before the other kids grabbed the starter Pokémon. He didn't really care which starter he got, and honestly, none of the starters really interested him. Unfortunately, the starters are the only Pokémon that are usually handed out at the lab and the starters are rarely found in the wild. There is no guarantee that he would get a Pokémon if he was late.

Ash quickly rushed to the bathroom. His reflection met him, along with his incredibly messy hair. He brushed his hair in a tremendous effort to make it look less messy, but he knew his black hair will never be tamed. Ash then brushed his teeth, and ran to the kitchen. Once he saw food on the table, Ash sat in the chair and was preparing to completely inhale the food in front of him.

Delia simply giggled at Ash's typical actions. "Sorry sweetie, but you get your Pokémon tomorrow, not today."

Ash groaned at his mother's trick, though the food kept him from feeling any real annoyance. His mother had only prepared a simple omelet with bacon, but it tasted better than most foods he had ever eaten. It's a mystery how she can make the simplest foods taste incredible. Ash vowed to one day cook as well as she can, but for now he decided to slowly enjoy his meal. He had no clue how long it will be before he see his mother again, and there was no guarantee that he would have such good food on the road. Maybe she will give him some recipes.

"So which Pokémon are you going to get?" Delia asked.

"I really don't know. I might get Charmander since Charizard could quickly fly me to different cities, but other than that, I just want a friendly Pokémon. I don't know what I would do if I had a starter that hated me."

"I'm sure your Pokémon will like you. So are you packed?"

"Yes, Mom, I had packed everything you told me too, plus extra food if I get lost. I still need to buy some potions from the store, so I will take my bag with me to see how many I can fit."

"Good. I've bought some pokéballs for you, by the way."

"Awesome!" Delia turned to Ash. Tears traced her face as she handed the pokéballs to Ash.

"My baby boy is leaving on his journey," She sobbed. She probably wouldn't see him for a good year or two outside of phone calls. Ash went to hug his mother. He was going to miss her. He went to his room, picked up his bag, and left the house.

Delia started to wash dishes while reminiscing about her son's life she remembered when he was an excited toddler that boasted to be a Pokémon master one day. That Ash had long since faded, leaving a calm, controlled teenager. Delia was happy that she waited three years before letting Ash leave on his adventure. She was worried that he would get into trouble, and she didn't any money to bail him out of any debts. She now knows that she can rely on her son to behave more rationally, though he still gets a little excited when he sees a Pokémon he likes. At least she taught her son to be careful around the more dangerous Pokémon. A knock on her door turned Delia away from her worries. "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal a new friend of hers. His name was Todd Garibald, a trainer she recently met at the mart. Todd and her had immediately grown on each other, and while she swore never to enter into another relationship, Todd almost convinced her otherwise. They only met three days ago, but he was just as charming as her late husband.

"Good Afternoon," he chirped. He seemed happy, Delia noticed.

"Why are you so excited?" Delia stated. His good mood infected her morose one, and she soon found herself smiling at the handsome man. He had short, jet black hair, olive skin, a strong jaw line and a very wiry frame. Todd wore a tight shirt, and his muscles rippled with every use. This man was built for action.

That thought made Delia giggle like a school girl. He could easily be mistaken as Ash's father, if Todd had honey-brown eyes like Ash. Instead, Todd had the prettiest jade eyes that she has ever seen. She often lost track of their conversations if she stared into them for too long.

"- and he had told me that I need to stay in Pallet for a while, since the professor needed my help with the wild Ekans attacking the Pokémon in the reservation."

_Oopsie_, Delia thought as she drew her attention away from Todd's eyes. She needed to salvage the conversation.

"So how long are you staying?" Delia asked, giving the illusion that she was listening.

"Two more weeks, though I might decide to just live here. I decided to settle down after my most recent defeats. I haven't even earned all of the gym badges in the Hoenn region." Todd sighed.

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"I faced a gym leader named Norman who specialized in normal type Pokémon. He utterly thrashed me. I challenged him several times over the course of two months, and I never managed to even defeat two of his Pokémon."

Delia could only stay silent, though her face showed a little pity. She decided to tell Todd about the end of her own journey.

"I ended my own journey when my closest Pokémon died." Delia still felt that particular death. Her Persian had passed away after Team Rocket attacked her and her husband.

"I'm sorry. My reasons are minor compared to yours."

"It's okay." Delia ended that uncomfortable conversation.

The two changed to trivial topics, and the unease disappeared.

Ash headed to the edge of the town and into the nearby forest. He traveled further and found the clearing he was looking for, a clearing that he often visited when he wanted to be alone. The grass was short enough for Ash to move easily, but not so short that Ash couldn't comfortably lie down, and the trees were tall enough to provide adequate shade at this time of day. The forest completely surrounds the clearing hiding it from people who were not searching for it, and most Pokémon do not dare venture in an open space for fear of being hunted by their predators. The few Pokémon that do usually leave humans alone, so Ash felt he was safe and alone. Ash moved to the center of the clearing and laid on the grass.

Ash was alone in the clearing, and he used the time to just relax and look at the clear, blue sky, picturing the Pokémon he wanted in the clouds. He was completely content and he felt that no one would bother him in this secret place. The other children in Pallet Town have always annoyed Ash, and he sought to avoid them when possible. His mother may have insisted that he try to get along with the others, but they only talk about battling and the strength of their favorite Pokémon. Ash wants more than that; he sees almost no appeal in battling. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Meow"

_What?_ Ash scrambled at the sound and quickly turned towards the source. There, before Ash, was a small Meowth.

Ash and the wild Meowth faced each other. Ash stared with a nervous expression, as even a baby Meowth can easily kill a human with their sharp claws. Meowth, however, was looking at Ash with a delighted expression, as if Ash had a shiny toy for Meowth. Ash then noticed how _close_ Meowth was. Meowth was only a foot from Ash, and he was within clawing distance. If this Meowth decided to attack Ash, Ash wouldn't even have time to reach his feet before Meowth would be on him.

Ash braced himself when Meowth started crawling even closer. Meowth had stopped in front Ash and purred. Meowth had then butted his head against Ash's chest, seeking affection from Ash. Ash gently petted Meowth, still confused, but letting the situation continue. It appears that Meowth had no desire to harm Ash, and Ash had absolutely no reason to change that. Meowth purred in delight before crawling into Ash's lap, allowing the human to continue petting him. Ash eventually relaxed. It truly seemed that the Meowth was friendly. Ash was fairly certain that Meowth wasn't from the forests near Pallet Town, since Meowth aren't really known to live around Pallet.

Ash focused on the Meowth. From what he knows of the species, this Meowth was still very young. The fur is soft, but not as clean as a house cat. This led Ash to believe that Meowth was indeed a young wild Pokémon, and not a house pet or a trainer's Pokémon. Ash could tell that this Meowth was female without having to check. Meowth lied in Ash's lap, unknowing of Ash's scrutiny, and purring every few minutes while Ash continued to stroke his fur.

They stayed like this for an hour before a massive snore rocked Ash's entire body. Meowth fell asleep in his lap. Ash smiled at the cat, deciding to discard any remaining worries. The affectionate cat warmed his heart in an indescribable manner, and the trust that Meowth gave him went even further to convince him of the Meowth's lack of an agenda.

It wasn't so bad. Ash adjusted their bodies so he was on his back with Meowth on his chest. He was able to relax, even with a wild Pokémon on his chest, and Ash started thinking about his impending journey.

Ash knew which Pokémon he liked, but as far as he knew, he could only have six Pokémon with him, probably even less if he couldn't afford to feed six Pokémon. Snorlax was one of the few powerhouse Pokémon that Ash wanted. However, Snorlax eats too much food; they can up to 400 pounds of food. If Ash had a Snorlax, Ash figured he could only have another two Pokémon without having to rely on the budget that his mother set aside. Ash did not want to send his Pokémon to Professor Oak if he can help it. Not only does the Pokémon begin to question their bond with their trainer, but the professor also charges the trainer each week for every Pokémon that requires costly care. The price depends on how much care the Pokémon needs, and a Snorlax would probably drain his account. So Ash concluded that having a Snorlax would be too impractical if he wanted to keep a healthy supply of food and Pokédollars. Most dragon Pokémon cause the same problem, along with most massive Pokémon.

Ash would prefer to have an Abra. Unlike Snorlax, Abra is easy to care for. An Abra would sleep for most of the day, and they only need one small meal a day until they evolve into a Kadabra. Then they would only need two small meals a day, but Ash will probably feed them more. Many bug type Pokémon can find food in the forest, and a team a bug Pokémon can share a bowl of a food. That single bowl will satisfy them for a whole day.

Overall, Ash would prefer to have six similar Pokémon that are friendly and easy to care for, instead of massive powerhouses that would eat his whole budget. He really had no desire to challenge the league for anything else except the money he will receive for each gym victory, and that money would go to the care for his Pokémon, himself, and his mother.

Ash's mother had a small garden that grew a little food, but she needed money to buy water, cleaning supplies, more food, etc. The money they owned was in an account that his father had created before he abandoned them, but that money has slowly been used over the past 15 years, and Ash's father was not rich by any means.

That budget is almost gone, though there is enough to last Ash until he reaches Saffron city, but only if he spends carefully. If Ash somehow managed to reach top 8 in the league, the prize money will be more than enough to last a year, even if he did own a Snorlax.

Ash suddenly realized that he should probably spend more with his mother before he left. Ash gently shook Meowth awake, still a tad wary of the cat.

Meowth stirred and raised his head, eyeing Ash with an adorable face.

"I have to go now." Ash said, gently hugging Meowth. "I have to leave for my journey tomorrow, and I want to spend my last day with my mother." Ash nervously rubbed the back of his head. He had no idea how to ask his next question. This Pokémon was far friendlier than any starter that Ash could hope for, and he wanted his first Pokémon to be more than just neutral to him. It would make the first few days of his journey less lonely. Ash was just about to ask Meowth if he wanted to come with him on his adventure when Meowth began to look at a pokéball on Ash's belt.

Meowth reached forward and tapped his paw on the pokéball, and the pokéball sucked her in. Ash anxiously watched this happen, but it seemed that Meowth didn't struggle against the pokéball, for the pokéball only shook once before sealing. Ash, of course, was surprised by this strange turn of events, but he had a feeling that his new eccentric friend was going to do many more actions of this nature. He also decided to conveniently ignore the fact that Meowth knew how pokéballs worked.

_Best to just enjoy her personality. _Ash thought, as he started the trek back to his home_. I know my mother will love Meowth._

Just as Ash arrived at the edge of Pallet Town, a large rumble shook the forest. Flocks of various flying Pokémon erupted from the trees, and Ash was sure that all the other Pokémon hid in their dens. Ash looked towards Pallet Town to find a massive plume of fire blooming in the distance. The explosion must have been massive. It had rattled Ash's bones even from this distance, and from the looks of it, the explosion was on the other side of Pallet Town. To Ash's horror, the explosion was near his home.

Ash made no noise, staring in shock as he watched as the plume continued to ascend. Ash then broke into a rapid sprint, praying to anyone who will listen. He wanted his mother to be safe, and he wanted the explosion to be on the edge of pallet, away from everyone. He did not want anyone to be killed. That kind of tragedy would linger in such a small town, and the peaceful atmosphere of his hometown would be scarred. Though if anyone was killed, he can live with it. He cannot, however, fathom how he would live without his mother.

As he approached his home, his hope was slowly extinguished. Ash arrived at his home to discover the inferno ravaging it.

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**So how did you enjoy the story? Is it good? Bad? Please leave helpful reviews. I hope to grow into a better writer as this series progresses.**


	2. Virgin Hunt

**Wow! This chapter is over twice as long as my last chapter. I thank everyone who gave me encouragement in my reviews, and I will take the lack of criticism as an indication of how will I'm doing. I do have a question though.**

**In this story I already know who the first six Pokémon will be, but Ash will have a few other Pokémon. I'm open to suggestions about which other Pokémon that Ash should have. Please leave the suggestions in your reviews.**

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It all happened so fast.

The firefighters had extinguished the fire, and Ash waited anxiously for any news about his mother. He solemnly watched as they checked the wreckage for any signs of life. After an hour of futile searching, Ash saw one of the firefighters approach him. He could read the pity on the firefighter's face, and he began to fear the worst.

"I'm sorry, but we found a body in the kitchen." The firefighter hesitated, as if waiting for any violent response from the broken youth in front of him. Ash merely turned to him, his eyes more hollow than any cave.

"Was it her?"

The firefighter nodded, though it pained him to inform a child of the death of mother. He despised these moments, and this is one of the worst examples. He would rather inform a mother about the death of her son than the reverse. At least he can take comfort in knowing that the mother can care for herself.

"Do you have any relatives, Mr. Ketchum?"

"No."

"Any family friends?"

"No." Ash whispered. He realized that he had no one to go to. He was on his own now.

The firefighter did not like where this was going. If Ash was younger, the firefighter could have moved Ash to an orphanage, but the firefighter knew this was a bad idea. First, orphanages generally don't maintain hygienic environments. Second, Ash looked old enough to start a Pokémon journey, so almost no orphanages would take him. Finally, Pallet Town didn't have any orphanages. Since orphans are too rare for the local government to provide any services, the town had no need for one. The firefighter thought that uprooting the Ash from his home would be far too cruel.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

The firefighter can't send him to an orphanage then. Ash will have to become a trainer.

"I hate to say this, but you are too old to be sent to an orphanage, did you want to be a trainer?"

"Yes." The firefighter was relieved.

"You should see if Professor Oak will chaperone your journey."

Ash didn't respond at first. His eyes remained locked onto the smoldering pile of rubble that was once his home. Ash suddenly tore his eyes away, and stood. He had his bag on his shoulder; there was little need for him to stay. He turned towards the firefighter, who had jumped at the sudden movements of the trainer.

"Is there enough to bury?" Ash whispered. His tone was more frigid than any tundra.

"Yes. She will be buried in the local cemetery."

"I don't want a funeral, and I won't stay here even if one was arranged. I will visit her grave later."

As Ash took a deep breath, grief racked his entire being, but he continued. "Are there any reasons why I'm still here?"

The firefighter supposed that Ash didn't have to stay. He already had his Pokénav number, so he can just give it to the chaperone.

"You don't have to, I guess, but at least wait for Professor Oak to hand you your Pokédex."

"Do you know where he is?"

The firefighter pointed behind Ash. Ash turned to find the Professor examining the ruins of his home. In his opinion, the professor had no reason to be there, unless a Pokémon caused the explosion. Ash didn't want to think of a Pokémon that would cause this.

Ash approached professor Oak with his request for a Pokédex and a chaperone, and the professor looked reluctant to let a traumatized teenager leave on his own. He said so to Ash.

"It's alright, Professor, I already have a Meowth with me, and I really don't want to stay here." Ash tiredly replied. He felt as if he had no energy to speak.

It took a moment for professor Oak to think of a response.

"I can't in good conscience let you do that. You are far too young to leave with no parent to help out. What if you run out of money? You will have no one to give you money, and no legal financial institution will give money to a minor. And what if you run into trouble with just one Pokémon? At least go with Gary."

Ash glared at Oak. It seems that the professor forgot about how Gary terrorized him in school. Ash could never forgive Gary for all the bullying. He remembered when Gary impulsively locked him in a small abandoned house at night with quite a lot of poisonous Pokémon. Ash had to break through the window to escape from them, and an Arbok continued to chase him afterwards for a few more minutes. He still held a scar on his shoulder from when he crashed into the window, and Gary never once apologized for nearly killing him. Professor Oak might not have known about that, but Ash did know that Professor Oak knew about Gary's constant bullying. The bullying only escalated when Gary received his first Pokémon three years ago, and even more when he placed Top 8 in the Indigo League. After Gary had returned from the Indigo Plateau, he proceeded to mock Ash for his poverty and his lack of any Pokémon, while brandishing his medal as if he won the entire conference. Ash protested against Gary's bragging, saying that he obviously wasn't as good as he think he is if he only placed in the Top 8. Gary grew enraged at Ash, and he ordered his Arcanine to chase him down. Arcanine had broken his shoulder when he jumped on Ash.

Professor Oak knew about Gary's assault on Ash, but Gary lied and said that Ash was trying to ruin his celebration. Oak refused to believe any word against his son, so Ash went to the police. However, Oak had convinced the police that they were just playing, and the police ignored any other complaints that Ash had, as they would rather believe the venerable Professor Oak than a "jealous brat". Ash remembered Gary smirking in the background as the police tore into him for "falsely" calling on them, and his mother was forced to apologize for Ash in order to avoid any fines. Both Ash and his mother no longer associated with the professor after that incident.

In short, Ash would rather lay in the grave with his mother instead of traveling with that sociopath, and traveling with Gary might even cause an early death.

"No." Ash felt his answer was very much justified.

"But It's for the be-"

"No!" Oak finally conceded, though he lost a lot of respect for the youngster. It's obvious that he can't take care of himself if he is so rash as to refuse the help of a more experienced trainer, especially if the trainer is as experienced as his son. Oak thought that Ash should let go of his "petty" grudge against Gary.

"Fine then, let's head to the lab." Oak's reply was curt and somewhat rude, but Ash didn't care. He just wanted to leave Pallet Town. He had lived his whole life in this town with his mother, and there were few spots where he and his mother have not been to. They have visited almost every building in the small town, so every place he sees brings another painful memory. Ash felt as if he will have a mental breakdown if he stayed in one place for too long. He tried especially not to look at the playground and the park.

The two walked a short distance before entering Professor Oak's lab. Ash remained near the entrance while Oak grabbed a Pokédex. Oak quickly returned to Ash and handed him the Pokédex and a Pokéball. Ash could feel the Pokéball stirring in his hand. He then sent an inquiring look at the professor.

"Inside that Pokéball is an Eevee, a versatile Pokémon that can evolve into three different forms with the Fire stone, the Thunder stone, and the Water stone. I hope you will take care of her." Ash was a bit peeved at the Professor's last comment. The professor's tone was almost threatening, as if he assumed that Ash would harm the Pokémon.

"Don't forget to register with the league, and be sure to keep them fed. I don't want to find you mistreating your Pokémon."

Ash had enough of Oak's attitude. How dare he make such careless comments after his mother just died? Ash had half a mind to punch him, but he decided that it would be better to just leave. With that thought, Ash turned away from the professor and left his lab. The professor's apathetic attitude enraged Ash, and Ash decided that he wouldn't leave any of his Pokémon to his professor. He would need to find another lab to leave his Pokémon. Ash's thoughts slowly drifted back to the recent inferno. These thoughts continued to plague him until his feet carried him to the edge of Pallet Town.

Ash looked back at the town he was leaving. He knew that he would only return to visit his mother's grave, and that's only if he didn't have her moved from Pallet to Lavender Town in the future. With that grim thought, Ash turned and walked away, passively noticing the grey clouds overhead.

Page Break

After two hours of walking, Meowth suddenly popped from her Pokéball, and Ash felt a little embarrassed. In his grief, he completely forgot about Meowth and Eevee. Ash released Eevee from her Pokéball.

"Hello, I'm Ash," He whispered, "Pleased to meet you". Eevee curiously looked at Ash. She then proceeded to sniff Ash, before she cautiously backed away. Ash brushed his hands over both Meowth's and Eevee's fur, receiving a purr from both of them, though Eevee was a bit hesitant to do so.

"Alright girls, I need to tell you a few things," Ash started. He crouched down to their height. "I am a Pokémon trainer, and I will eventually need to battle against other trainers using my own Pokémon. Do you mind battling for me?"

Meowth had nodded quickly, as did Eevee, but the later looked a bit unsure. Honestly, Ash was very surprised at both of their responses. He had just met both of them, and he read about how Pokémon often don't listen to their trainers at first. Meowth had honored him with her will to battle in his name after just meeting him, and Eevee seemed only a little reluctant, more as if battling made her nervous than having a new trainer. Ash did not want either of them to think that he only wanted them for battling.

"Above all though, I would like to travel with friends. Besides the two of you, I have no one." Ash hesitated. He might be assuming a little too much. "I can call you friends, right?"

Meowth leapt into Ash's arms, and Ash barely caught her. Meowth seemed more than content with being Ash's friend. She thought Ash would've realized that she was his friend the moment she slept in his lap. Eevee couldn't jump as high as Meowth, so she settled with rubbing against Ash's legs, but Eevee had doubts about her new trainer's comments. What did he mean when he said that he didn't have anyone else? She had a very bad feeling about this. By her actions, Ash can now confirm that Eevee would be his friend.

His two new Pokémon had warmed Ash in a way that faintly reminded him of his mother. Here are two Pokémon that have accepted him as both their trainer and their friend. When his mother died, Ash felt empty. He felt as if he would have no one, but these two Pokémon have proved otherwise. Ash knelt down and pulled Eevee and Meowth into a desperate hug. He felt he couldn't hold back anymore, something snapped within him, and the tears flowed. Grief continued to rack his body, and rain started to pour on the three of them.

Ash cried, and the rain poured harder. The tears and the rain mixed into a soft deluge, draining Ash of the sorrow that clung to him. All of the good memories Ash had made with his mother, they gave him little comfort. Instead, they only caused him more pain, knowing that he will never make any more memories with her. Ash collapsed on his knees, almost screaming out his pain, trying hard to shut off his tears, but only in vain. Meowth pressed her head into Ash's shoulder. She was trying her hardest to alleviate her trainer's agony. Eevee somehow climbed onto Ash's shoulder. She copied Meowth, despite not knowing what had happened to Ash.

After a few minutes, Ash could say that the rain washed away most of his sorrows. Except Ash knew it wasn't the rain. It was his two friends that lifted his spirit. This moment can't completely cleanse Ash of his grief, but Ash will only need a little time before he can continue forward with his head held high.

"Thank you," He sobbed. It was nice to have real friends.

Eevee was previously confused by her new trainer's actions, until Meowth had quickly informed her about everything that happened, including both his mother's death and Professor Oak's callous attitude. Eevee was horrified to learn about Ash's misfortune, and she was enraged at Oak. Eevee vowed to help Ash recover from these ordeals, and she readied herself for any future battles. Her initial fears seem minor now, and she hoped that she could grow strong enough to get back at the professor. It would feel even better if she could squash his son's massive ego in front of a whole coliseum of spectators. Now that she thought about it, embarrassing his repugnant spawn would be the perfect way to get revenge, but she knew that she was far from being strong enough to do that. She saw Gary's Pokémon first hand, and she experienced a bit of their power when they were bullying her. Now Eevee looked forward to battling, if not to become stronger and defeat Gary, then to protect Ash from anymore misfortune.

After a few more minutes, Ash finally realized how heavy the rain fell.

"We need to reach Viridian before we get sick." Ash returned Meowth and Eevee to their Pokéball's. He then turned and ran towards Viridian, but he knew that he had another hour before he reached there, so he braced himself for a long run.

Ash reached the Viridian Pokémon Center without incident. He quickly entered and strode to the front desk. He saw a woman with styled, pink hair sitting behind it. Ash knew that this woman was named Nurse Joy, since almost everyone knew of the pink-haired women operating the Pokémon Centers.

"Hello Nurse Joy, can you check my Pokémon for any illnesses. We got a little soaked by the rain."

"Sure."

Nurse Joy took both of Ash's Pokémon and placed them into the diagnostics machine located on the desk. After a few seconds, Ash heard a resounding ping.

"Your Pokémon are in good health. I noticed that you haven't really trained them. Are you a new trainer?"

"Yes, I know I'm a bit old to be starting this late."  
"Nonsense," Nurse Joy giggled, "I wish more trainers started at your age. Perhaps we would see more responsible trainers."

"Umm, thank you?"

Nurse Joy smiled, causing Ash to give a weak smile in return. His mother's death weighed too heavily for him to display anymore emotion. "I have a book that helps with training Pokémon, and I just so happen to have two of them. Would you like one?"

Ash was surprised at this Nurse Joy's charity. "I would love to have one," replied Ash. If the book was any good, Ash can use it to train his Pokémon to fight against his first gym leader. He heard that the gym leader in Pewter was a rock-type specialist, and he knew that normal Pokémon have a bit of trouble against rock Pokémon. Ash fully expected the gym leader to take advantage of that. "I have to ask though, why did you have an extra book?"

"We received a large shipment from Giovanni recently. He had seriously injured quite a lot of Pokémon last week, and these books are his way of apologizing. Apparently, he had orders to change his line up so that challengers could actually stand a chance. Your book is the last extra left."

"Well, thank you for the book," Ash gave another small smile to the kind Nurse Joy.

"You're welcome." Nurse Joy gave Ash another smile in return. This young trainer had helped alleviate some of the boredom that Nurse Joy felt while sitting at the desk. She preferred to do intense operations, where she can use her full set of skills to help any Pokémon fully recover from many injuries. She would even battle, if only to stop the monotony.

"Hey, how do trainers earn money if they haven't won any gym battles in a while?"

Nurse Joy had to ponder that question, but it didn't take her long to answer. "Well, some trainers find temporary job's around the town. Those jobs are kind of rare, so I wouldn't count on finding one. Most trainers rely on the large sum that the League hands them whenever they win a gym challenge. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to rely solely on gym battles to feed my Pokémon and me."

Nurse Joy beamed at Ash. "Now that's a solid plan. Too many aspiring trainers end their career when they run out of money. If you are running short of money, you can always take on bounties."

"Bounties?" Ash inquired. He really did not want to hunt any dangerous criminals if he can help it.

"Yes," Nurse Joy confirmed, "There are people and Pokémon who threaten others. If they continuously inflict harm, a bounty is issued for that Pokémon or person." Nurse Joy indicated to a board on the wall.

Ash turned to see a more than a few bounties attached to the wall. Each bounty had a letter stamped on it, ranging from "A" to "E". After carefully looking at board, Ash found a poster that had an "S" stamped on it. Ash asked Nurse Joy about the letters.

"The letters on the poster show the ranking of the hunt. 'E' is the lowest rank, and they are for Pokémon that prank or steal from travelers. They rarely harm others, and they tend to run away when threatened. I recommend you take these bounties first, if bounty hunting interests you." Nurse Joy had indicated at a specific poster on a wall. Ash saw the Psyduck on the poster. Apparently, he is wanted for stealing food from travelers, and the Psyduck had a distinctive, cross-shaped scar on the side of its head. It was located south of Viridian City, closer to Viridian city than it is to Pallet Town. Its known attacks are scratch, screech, and water gun. It also had enough reward money for Ash to last a week. It's a surprising amount for what he thought would be a minor target. After quickly memorizing all of that information, Ash turned back to Nurse Joy.

"All the posters marked 'D' are Pokémon that usually steal from travelers. They are not so averse to harming their victims, but they focus more on the theft than the harming. These Pokémon are notably stronger than the Pokémon marked 'E', and they require trainers that have a little bit of experience. It's recommended that you have at least two badges before trying to catch one." Nurse Joy looked to see if Ash is still following her lecture. Ash focused completely on her speech, and Nurse Joy was pleased to see his undivided attention.

"All the posters marked 'C' and above are much different than the two lower ranks. It is recommended that you use more than one Pokémon to take them down. This is to ensure that all of your Pokémon are not grievously injured by the bounties, since at this level, the bounties are not afraid to seriously injure others, and they may even try and take their lives. These bounties are also liable to attack the trainer directly, since they usually have experience with fighting against trained Pokémon. They know that trainers are much more fragile than their Pokémon, and won't hesitate to take that advantage. All gloves should be off at this point, since you will be risking the lives of both you and all your Pokémon. At "C", the Pokémon is either a single powerhouse, or a group of weaker Pokémon. This category also holds bounties for trainers that abuse their own Pokémon. At "B", the Pokémon is either a trained Pokémon that has gone on a rampage, or a group or herd of either fully evolved Pokémon. Herds of powerhouses like Kanghaskan also fall in this category. The Pokémon in these categories are wanted for destroying property, and occasionally attacking a trainer, and this category also hosts some trainers who use Pokémon to demolish property." Nurse Joy took a deep breath. The next category is always hard for her to talk about.

"If the Poster is marked "A", then a trainer has to sign a warranty before they undertake the mission. Too many cocky trainers have tried to take on these monsters, only to be killed, and the League has been requiring wavers from trainers since last year. The Pokémon in this category are powerful, and it's highly recommended that a trainer has at least seven badges before they even think of fighting them. This category usually consists of highly trained Pokémon that were released, and trainers that steal other trainers Pokémon. Team Rocket is in this category, especially since they often use giant machines to attack." Nurse Joy knew a few trainers that tried to take on these bounties. Many of them never returned, or they had lost all of their Pokémon. "It is also acceptable to kill these threats if you have no other choice. The League has considered it to be better for the hunter to kill the mark instead of the mark completely escaping."

Ash didn't know what to think about that. He would rather not have to kill anyone.

The next category depressed her, and Nurse Joy tries not to think too hard about it. "I'm sure you noticed the one poster marked "S" right?" Ash indeed noticed, and he told her so. "Those posters host real monsters on them. The Pokémon have enough power to rearrange the landscape, and they often attack humans on sight. Usually, an Elite Four member has to handle the Pokémon, but the Pokémon are so strong that an Elite Four member can easily lose one of their own Pokémon trying to defeat them." Ash widened his eyes at that, and Nurse Joy can understand his shock. The Elite Four are so powerful, that they have to give a prior notice to a nearby town before they enter any battle. They often destroy large amounts of landscape and have often injured innocent people that happen to pass by the destructive action. "Since the Elite Four are needed to stop terrorist cells from growing too powerful, they themselves cannot engage the behemoths unless that behemoth jeopardizes an entire city. That's not to say that only Pokémon can make this rank. The "S" posters also have a few trainers on it, with the leader of Team rocket being one such mark. Members of this rank can take on some of the legendary Pokémon, and they are very much likely to win. There are only three "S" posters for Kanto, all of their actually identities are unknown, and only two of these monsters have known locations." Ash looked to one of the "S" posters. The poster depicted a large question mark, but the information on the poster showed that the Pokémon was responsible for a permanent sandstorm in an area near Fuchsia city. The Pokémon is massive and is calculated to be near 18 feet tall. Ash wanted to be nowhere near such a behemoth. Nurse Joy began to tremble. "I have encountered one of the "S" before," she resumed, "It was so terrifying, as if my death was assured just by being in its territory."

Nurse Joy decided to end her lecture on that subject. "You need special permission from the league to hunt these behemoths. They won't even consider giving you permission if you can't beat any of the Elite Four. Even then, I recommend that you avoid them at all cost." Nurse Joy finished her lecture on the "S", even Ash can see that she was traumatized. Nurse Joy took a few seconds to recuperate, and then she resumed her talk about the other bounties, "Any mission can have extra parameters, especially if someone personally posted the request."

"That sounds really extreme. Do they really allow anyone to hunt them, or do they just use these posters to warn travelers?" Ash asked, referring to the S-marked monsters. There aren't many people that can beat the Elite Four.

"Wow, you're pretty smart aren't you?" Nurse joy winked at Ash, "But yes, that's the biggest reason for the post board really, since most trainers charge through the gym challenges with no regard for bounty hunting."

Ash realized he could make enough money if he successfully hunted even the lowest ranks. He looked to the posters and examined the reward difference between the ranks. He noticed that the average amount of money doubles for every increase in rank, and that the few missions that are posted by individuals have a higher reward than the ones posted by the league. If he managed a few of the higher tier marks, he may be able to buy himself a home one day.

The thought of home instantly reminded Ash of his mother. He had to take a deep breath to not spiral into depression again. Ash turned to Nurse Joy.

"Do you have any available rooms for the night?"

"Yep, and our rooms are free of course, provided that you don't stay more than three nights. We still charge you for food though."

Now that he noticed, this Nurse Joy seemed a bit different to Ash. She behaved very informal, as if she didn't care much about professionalism. Ash is willing to bet that this Nurse Joy was much younger than the others.

"How old are you?"

Nurse Joy grinned at Ash's question.

"I guess I made that a bit obvious, huh? I'm fifteen years old."

That threw Ash for a loop.

"Are you a fifteen-year-old fully fledged Nurse?"

"Actually, I'm more of a doctor than a Nurse, but I do both jobs."

"Well that's very impressive."

"Thank you!" Nurse Joy cheered. She handed Ash a key to his room, but Ash stayed to ask another question.

"What's your name?"

Ash shocked Nurse Joy with his question. She has never heard of anyone asking any Nurse Joy about their name. She knew this trainer was different than the others; her instincts told her so, but to ask such an outstanding question forever etched this trainer into her mind.

"My name is Mira," Mira blushed. The change in color revealed a light scar just above her eye. Ash will use this to tell her apart from the other Nurse Joys if he ever sees Mira again. He really liked her, but Ash was tired now, and he needed to sleep. A yawn seemed to emphasize that thought.

"Goodnight Mira"

"Goodnight. Wait! What's your name?"

Ash turned to Mira, a tad embarrassed at his forgetfulness. "I'm Ash" He smiled. Ash continued to the room. He needed the energy for his first bounty hunt.

Mira watched as Ash walked away. Sometimes, she wished that her family would let her travel, but they are too paranoid, and she couldn't run away. Their influence stretched over the entire continent, and she would have to avoid every city with a Pokémon Center if she wanted to be free. That would simply be impossible. It would also endanger her Pokémon, something she absolutely refused to do.

Ash entered his room and released Meowth and Eevee. He placed them on his bed and crawled in it. Ash pulled Meowth and Eevee closer to him, as if trying to fill the sudden void in his life. The two Pokémon obliged Ash's silent request. They knew he them.

Ash fell into a dreamless sleep, comforted by his two new Pokémon and his new direction in life.

Page Break

The next morning, Ash awoke to find two Pokémon lying next to him. Then the previous day's events crashed into him.

Delia's death affected Ash much less than the day before. He still felt an absence in his life, but now he won't be crippled by the grief. Ash rose out of the bed, carefully moving his two Pokémon aside so he didn't disturb them. He moved to the bathroom to shower and dress, remembering to brush his teeth and hair. When Ash finished, he found both Meowth and Eevee patiently waiting for him, and they seemed to have pulled out the book that Mira gave him.

Ash took the rather obvious queue, and he picked up the book. The introduction of the book covered the safety aspects of training. Ash tried to memorize as much of the safety tips as possible; it would be better to safely train his Pokémon than to possible cripple them. The introduction also mentioned that the Pokédex can show the trainer what moves that his Pokémon have, and that the reader can skip to different chapters if he wished to train specific aspects of his Pokémon, like speed, strength, mind, etc. Ash felt that he would train both of his Pokémon in speed and strength for now. In his mind, it doesn't matter how many hits a Pokémon can take if they can't deal any real damage.

Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned Meowth.

**Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth loves to roam at night to gather coins and other objects that sparkle, but it spend most of the daylight hours sleeping. This Meowth knows the techniques: Scratch, Growl, and Punishment.**

"Punishment?" thought Ash. He never heard of that move before. Ash discarded that thought for now, and he moved over to Eevee to scan her.

**Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. It has the potential to evolve into any one of three different Pokémon. This Eevee knows the techniques: Tackle, Tail whip, and Charm.**

Ash frowned at that. He was sure that Eevee had more evolutions. He ignored the questionable information and quickly looked through the Pokédex to see if it had any description of Punishment and Charm. He shortly found that they did, and what he read brought a smile to his face.

With Punishment, Ash can possibly bait his opponent into buffing their Pokémon by showing that Meowth was "clearly" outclassing his opponent in some way. Ash would have to have a good reason to bluff it though, since if he really did outclass his opponent, then there would be no point in not ending the match then and there. The move was classified as a dark type, so Ash will definitely have Meowth using it in first gym match. He simply had no other effective move between the two of them.

With Eevee's Charm, Ash can drastically weaken any rock Pokémon that the gym leader has, but the fight will become a battle of attrition. Ash thought that will more than likely cause Eevee to lose, but when Ash looked at her, he saw the determination in her eyes. She may very well win such that battle.

"We are going to hunt that Psyduck," Ash said. Both Pokémon happily cheered at that notion.

An hour later, Ash left the Pokémon center after waving at Nurse Joy at the desk. He was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't Mira at the desk, but that didn't stop him from reaching the forest south of Viridian. Ash roamed a bit, and he eventually found a small pond.

Since Psyduck was a water-type, Ash suspected that Psyduck frequently visited the pond. He needed a way to lure Psyduck, but he didn't have any sort of fishing rod. Ash closed his eyes and thought on the details that the poster showed.

_This Pokémon liked to steal food from passing travelers._

Ash smirked as a simple plan popped in his head. He placed his bag on the ground and began to scrounge through it. After a few moments, Ash removed a picnic blanket and a small container. He then placed them both on the ground and opened the container. He decided that he could enjoy a small meal while he waited for the tuna scent to waft over the pond. Hopefully, the scent will encourage Psyduck to attack him.

What Ash intended to be a small snack turned into a full lunch, as Psyduck has yet to show himself, but Ash kept the Meowth's Pokéball close to him.

"Psy!" Ash reacted the moment he heard the battle cry.

"Now!"

Meowth came out of her Pokéball, looking more like an innocent housecat than a potential threat. That was fine with Ash. He didn't want Psyduck to run away in fear. Psyduck had stopped a few feet away from Meowth and the sandwiches. He didn't expect for Ash to react so fast.

"Use Scratch."

Meowth charged forward and attacked Psyduck. Her attack landed, and Psyduck screamed in pain.

"Keep it up!"

Meowth continued to scratch Psyduck. She zipped across Psyduck and landed another deep scratch. Psyduck stopped panicking and fired a water gun. Meowth was swept away by the attack.

"Oh no!"

Meowth quickly rose from the ground and continued to charge at Psyduck. Psyduck had tried to take the opportunity to run away, but Meowth caught up to the clumsy duck.

"Let's try it again! Meowth use Scratch."

Meowth charged at Psyduck; her claws ready to draw more blood. Psyduck turned his head and fired another Water Gun at Meowth, which she barely managed to dodge it. Psyduck never stopped running to fire the Water Gun, and Ash had a vague feeling that Psyduck could keep running and firing Water Guns. That's certainly not an ideal situation when Meowth can't get close enough to do any damage.

"Knock him down!" Ash yelled. He didn't want Meowth to take any extra damage from Psyduck's Water Guns. She had to keep Psyduck close in order to win the fight.

Meowth attempted to leap at Psyduck, only to be blasted to the ground by another Water Gun. Meowth bounced to her feet and charged at Psyduck again.

"Expect him to fire a Water Gun when you get close."

This time, when she chased Psyduck, she dodged the expected Water Gun. Meowth leapt on Psyduck and tackled him to the ground.

"Great Job, Meowth. Scratch him, but keep him on the ground. Try to keep his head facing away from you!"

Meowth had listened to her trainer and managed to get a few more scratches in, but Psyduck had another trick under his sleeve. Psyduck opened his mouth and released an extremely high scream. Meowth screamed and covered her ears, failing to protect them from the assault. Psyduck used this opportunity to blast Meowth off of him with another Water Gun.

Ash hesitated. He didn't want to push his friend too much. He saw Psyduck weakly push himself to his webbed feet. Ash saw that their tactic had worked. Psyduck barely had any strength left to resist, and this encouraged Ash to push Meowth a little bit harder. Ash noticed the cross-shaped scar for the first time, confirming that this was their mark.

"Quick, Meowth! Another Scratch!"

Meowth recovered from Psyduck's Screech and charged again. She managed to claw Psyduck on his vulnerable belly, and Psyduck couldn't take it anymore. He fainted in a puddle, covered in several deep scratches.

Ash instinctively threw a Pokéball. He didn't know how the League kept track of marks. He should've asked Mira, but until he asks Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, he will just assume that he had to catch them.

The Pokéball rocked three times before a loud ping resonated through the clearing. Psyduck had been caught.

"Yes!" Ash ran over to Meowth and checked over her injuries. No blood trickled from her ear, so the screech didn't pop her eardrums. One of the Water Guns left a bruise along her side, but other than that, there were no injuries.

"You did wonderful Meowth," Ash soothed. He brushed his hands over Meowth's fur, and she purred under his hands. Meowth felt satisfied by the victory, and she loved how her trainer rewarded her efforts.

"Let's go back," Ash mumbled. He didn't personally fight Psyduck, but the adrenaline rush made him a bit tired. He couldn't imagine fighting a trainer with six Pokémon. Meowth silently agreed with Ash. She was tired and in pain, for obvious reasons.

Page Break

Ash walked into the Pokémon Center and to the front desk. He checked under Nurse Joy's eye for a certain scar.

His eyes had found it. They also saw the expectant look in her eye.

"Hey, Mira." Mira squealed loudly. He actually recognized her!

"Hey!" She beamed. This trainer can actually recognize her.

"I think you're the only one I can recognize," Ash yawned.

That comment made Mira blush.

"But I only met one other Nurse besides you." Ash finished.

Mira's blush disappeared in an instant. She was almost scowling now.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ash asked. Did he insult her somehow?

Mira recovered quickly. Ash thought he must've imagined her scowling at him.

"So what did you want?" Mira asked professionally. She doubted that he came to talk to her. He was covered in too much dirt, so he was probably training his Pokémon.

"Can you heal my Meowth, Please?"

"Sure," she chirped. Mira called for a Chansey to take Ash's Meowth. Ash handed the whole Pokéball to the Chansey.

"So how do I turn in a mark?" Ash inquired.

Now that startled Mira. "Did you catch one of them?"

"Well yeah."

"Wow. You didn't even start training yet, and you already took down a bounty," Mira laughed. "You can just hand the Pokéball to me along with the poster of your mark. You can take the one from the wall."

Ash did as she said.

"Ok, now I hand you your reward. Oh, and for future reference, all bounties that are marked 'C' and above are to be taken to Officer Jenny."

Mira handed Ash – Pokédollars and a blue egg.

"What's the egg for?"

Mira giggled "The league commemorated your first bounty. They want to encourage your hunting by giving you a new Pokémon."

Ash gawked at Mira. The league gave him a new Pokémon?

Mira laughed really hard at his expression, and Ash felt a bit peeved at Mira, though he couldn't help but smile at the carefree Nurse. Mira stopped laughing and fixed Ash with a warm gaze. She handed Ash an egg incubator. "Keep the egg in the incubator," Mira then gave Ash another book. "That book will teach you how to take care of an egg, and how to raise baby Pokémon." Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Is this another spare book?"

"No, this one was mine." It was Mira shocked Ash again. She just gave him another free book.

"I don't think anyone will ever help me as much as you have." Ash stated. "I'm really thankful that you have showed me some of the ropes."

"No problem, but I do reserve the right to make one request from you in the future," Mira winked. Ash had no problem with that, and his smile showed Mira that he agreed.

"I certainly don't mind."

"Good, but wait, I have one more helpful tip." Ash was all ears.

"Every city has a library, and they are always up to date on information. Go take your books to Bookkeeper Juno. She's like the Officers and us Nurses; there is one in every city-sponsored library.

A large ping rang through the lobby, and a Chansey walked out with a pokéball in her hands. She handed the pokéball to Mira, and Mira handed that pokéball to Ash.

"Your Meowth is in good health. She only suffered a minor bruise on his side, and she was soaked. I'm glad you are paranoid about your Pokémon's health. Some of the injured Pokémon we get in here make me question their trainers love for them." Mira ranted.

"I pray that I don't turn into one of _those_." Ash spat.

"I doubt you will."

"Thanks for the confidence." Ash sincerely thanked her.

Another Nurse Joy opened the one of the doors behind the desk.

"Mira, you shouldn't socialize so much." Nurse Joy chided gently. Nurse Joy then turned to Ash, "I'm sorry, but can you please hurry along. We are expecting a few trainers to walk through the door any minute now. I think I've let you both talk long enough." The smile Nurse Joy had robbed her statement of any real sting. Ash guessed correctly that Nurse Joy had allowed them to talk as long as there was no one else in line. "Now run along now."

"Okay, bye Mira, I hope to see you around again."

"Bye Ash, and I'm sure that we will see each other again." Mira countered.

Ash smiled and turned towards the exit. He was about to start walking when I large explosion destroyed the ceiling above. Screams rang through the hall, as everyone panicked.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

The dust cleared to show two humans and a Meowth confidently standing in a hot air balloon. Ash assumed their identities from their speech.

"These clowns are Team Rocket?" Mira enquired. She has never encountered Team Rocket before, but these three seem a tad too…incompetent. The talking Meowth was a bit surprising, but she has seen stranger phenomena. Ash wondered if he could teach his Meowth how to speak like that.

"How dare you look down us!" Jessie shrieked.

"As if a twerp like you can appreciate our worth!" James added.

"Enough you two, we are here to steal any strong Pokémon, not quibble with a bunch of Nurses." Meowth preempted any argument.

"You're right! Ekans, Come on out!" Jessie ordered. Her Ekans popped from her Pokéball, and it certainly looked more oppressing than the Psyduck earlier did.

"Go Koffing, start off with Smokescreen" A Koffing popped out of James' Pokéball. It immediately followed James orders and started to spew smoke throughout the lobby.

"You must not take the Pokémon!" Nurse Joy screamed. She was ready to defend the Pokécenter with her life.

"Ash, let's team up and take down these idiots" Mira shouted. She was ashamed to feel a little excited at the events. It certainly did break the monotony. She tossed out Pokéball, "Go Nida!" After a flash of light, a Nidorina landed next to Mira. It looked ready to cause as much pain as it can get away with, and it grinned at Ash when it noticed him.

Ash ignored the sadistic Pokémon and tossed out his own. "Eevee!" Ash's Eevee appeared next to him.

The timing was perfect. Jessie's Ekans slithered towards them "Ekans use Poison Sting on all of them!" The group had to dodge out of the way as Ekans shot a small barrage of needles at the team. Ash didn't want to suffer through another barrage. "Eevee, Charm him". Eevee started flirting with Ekans, and Ekans stopped his attack and blushed crimson. Apparently, Eevee has a way with words.

"Nida, use Bite!" Mira commanded. Her Nidorina moved to do so.

"Not so fast! Koffing, tackle Nida" James aimed to stop Nidorina from attacking a blushing Ekans.

"Eevee, tackle Koffing before he reaches Nida." Ash ordered. Covering the undoubtedly stronger Nidorina will probably end this fight much sooner.

Eevee succeeded in tackling Koffing before he reached Nida, and Nida sunk her teeth into Ekans. Koffing was knocked deeper into the smokescreen. Ash stared into the smoke and planned for a few different strategies that Team Rocket could try. Ash then remembered that they had a Meowth, and he began to worry.

"Now Nidorina, smash Ekans into the ground as many times as you can!" Nida proceeded to do so.

"Ekans! Get out of there!" Nida kept her hold on Ekans, despite his struggling. Nida proceeded to slam Ekans into the floor several times. Ash vaguely wondered why a Nurse had such a cruel fighting style.

"Koffing! Use the smoke to get close to Nidorina and tackle it."

"Eevee, stay near Nidorina, but away from Ekans head," Ash didn't want to give Ekans an easy target, "tackle Koffing when you see him."

Ash silently released Meowth from her Pokéball. He told her to hide in the smoke, and to find the other Meowth. She should keep close to him and stay hidden if he's no longer in the hot air balloon. Koffing charged from the smoke, intent on freeing Ekans from Nidorina's vice hold. Eevee moved to block Koffing.

"Not this time!" Team Rocket's Meowth leapt from the smoke. He aimed to take out Eevee so Koffing could free Ekans.

"Meow!" Ash's Meowth had snuck up behind her target and bit him in his tail. Her target screamed in pain, and Meowth pulled back on his tail, pulling him away from Eevee. Eevee had tackled Koffing again, but this time Koffing smacked against a wall. Koffing took extra damage from the collision, but he rose in fled into the smoke again.

"That's enough Nida!" Ash focused on Nidorina to find her holding an unconscious, and very much bruised, snake. "Throw her towards her trainer." The Nidorina obliged. Ash passively reminded himself that he should give Meowth a nickname, and that he shouldn't challenge a Nurse Joy anytime soon.

Ash moved his focus back on his Meowth, to see her target attacking her. This Meowth looked more experienced than she was, and he had landed a few Fury Swipes. He shouldn't have gotten distracted. "Eevee, tackle their Meowth." Eevee moved behind their Meowth, and tackled him hard in the middle of his back. Their Meowth crashed into a wall and fell unconscious.

"Now send Meowth back to the rest of Team rocket!" Ash commanded. The smoke began to clear, and Koffing couldn't be seen anywhere. Ash rightfully assumed that James had returned him to his Pokéball. Eevee sent Their Meowth flying to their hot air balloon, where their Ekans was resting as well.

"Nida use Thunderbolt!"

Nida launched a powerful surge of electricity to the enemy team, and a loud explosion was seen before Ash saw Team Rocket sent flying through the air. Nida looked exhausted from her effort.

"You haven't heard the last of us, but it seems that Team Rocket is blasting off!" The trio shouted as they flew into the distance.

Ash sat down and called his two Pokémon over. "Both of you did amazing. We could've gotten through this without being harmed if I was a better trainer." Their Meowth would've never been able to use Fury Swipes if he paid more attention. Meowth and Eevee didn't care about their trainer's mistake, and they demonstrated this by affectionately rubbing against Ash.

Mira ran over to Ash. "O-M-G, that was amazing," she cheered. Her good mood erased whatever self-pity that Ash could conjure. "We totally synced so well together. I know my Pokémon has been battling longer than yours, but the way you controlled the flow of battle was better than anything I've ever done!"

Ash took these at face value. He knew her well enough that she wouldn't lie to him about something so petty. "Why thank you. You obviously raised your Nida very well. She creamed that Ekans."

Mira laughed. She really enjoyed being around Ash. She was going to voice her thoughts when Nurse Joy ran back over to them.

"Thank you both for saving all the Pokémon," Nurse Joy sobbed. She then bowed, to the surprise of Mira and Ash. "I will let my sisters know of your good deeds here today. I know they will be thankful for your intervention here today." Ash blushed at all the compliments he is receiving. Ash then remembered that he needed to name his Pokémon. He crouched to their level.

"Hey guys, would you like for me to name you?" Eevee yipped in happiness, while Meowth impatiently butted her head against his side. Ash smiled at their eagerness.

"Alright, Meowth, do you like the name Yzma?" Meowth blinked owlishly at the strange, yet exotic, name. She nodded in affirmative, and then she jumped on his shoulder and attempted to pet his hair. She quickly fell off and landed on her feet, but everyone laughed at her antics.

"Eevee, how do you like the name Ezra?" Eevee leapt onto his knee, then into his arms. She loved her new name.

"Those are nice names, Ash." Nurse Joy stated. Ash assumed that she learned his name from Mira. "I think they both love it."

"Thank you," Ash responded. He happily took the compliment. "So is everyone okay?"

"Yep," Mira answered.

"Awesome, I think I will take my leave after Meowth is healed."

Mira really liked Ash, but she knew that he had to continue his adventure. "Okay, let's go ahead and get her healed then."

Two hours later, Ash received his Meowth. He turned to Mira and the other Nurse Joy. "I'm heading to the library now. I hope you two will take care, and I will see you again someday." Mira was his first human friend in his journey, and he knew that would miss her, but he needed to move on now. Ash turned to leave the Pokémon Center, unimpeded this time.

* * *

**And that's the end of Chapter 2. These are the first fight scenes I have ever written, and I tried to portray Ash as a newbie trainer. I avoided portraying Ash as some prodigy, so he made a few mistakes in his battles. I also avoided flawless victories, and and I tried to avoid having Pokemon exceed their physical capabilties. The latter is kinda tough. So Did I do well? What do i need to work on?**

**Please leave comments and suggestions in the review box.**


	3. Preparations Will Be Made

Okay everyone! Sorry for the long wait. I had trouble in my classes this semester, so I decided to responsibly hold back on writing for a while.

Enjoy the story and please feel free to leave reviews and suggestions if you want. I already know where I'm heading with this story, but I'm open to ideas.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokémon franchise.

* * *

As Ash walked into the Viridian, he instantly noticed the sheer amount of books the library had. Books completely covered the walls of the library, and the library itself was massive, so each wall had several shelves as long as the length of a small house. The library also had bookcases evenly spaced through the library, though they were only half the height of the library itself. It was obvious that the library had a lot of information. While curiously browsing the shelves, Ash found books on all different kinds of topics, ranging from "Why 'Shiny' Pokémon exist" to "How to cook different foods for different needs." He was impressed and a little excited by all the different books. Ash reached the desk in the front of the library, and he examined the woman working behind it.

The woman looked interesting. She had dark blue hair that reached her waist, and round-framed glasses that hid her eyes. Her outfit consisted of a thin black dress that revealed a small amount of cleavage and hugged her hourglass figure. All in all, she looked very attractive, and Ash blushed a little when he caught himself checking her out. The woman was casually, yet carefully, moving large amount of books from the desk to a floating tray next to her. Once loaded, the tray vanished, and Ash suspected the work of a psychic or ghost Pokémon.

When the tray disappeared, the woman finally noticed Ash at her desk.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She frantically apologized, "I didn't notice you there."

Ash brushed off her apology with a light smile. "It's okay. I'm still a little confused at what to do here. A Nurse Joy at the Pokémon recommended I come here and show you these two books." Ash placed the two books on the desk. "I have already read 'Hatching and Raising Pokémon', but not "Basic Training for Pokémon. I'm Ash Ketchum by the way."

The woman gave an enigmatic smile. "Why hello Ash, my name is Laura Blanca. I and all of my sisters that work at the Libraries go by Librarian Blanca. We usually only see researchers come to the library, but we have special options for trainers." Now Laura intrigued Ash with the new information, and he found himself wondering why Mira thought that the Library would help him.

"Follow me, please." Laura requested, and Ash did. Laura led Ash to a back corner of the library, where a staircase that led to what he presumed was the basement. He was proven incorrect when she opened the door and showed a passage. Ash continued to follow her through the passage, and at the end, they climbed another staircase. Laura opened the door and invited Ash inside. Once Ash walked in, he quickly examined his surroundings. Like Nurse Joy, Librarian Blanca appeared to be a family profession with siblings that looked very similar. Not as much as Nurse Joys do, since Librarians can actually be distinguished from one another. To his left, Ash saw three Bookkeeper's in the room with a few Pokémon. They appeared to be studying an Electabuzz and taking down some notes, while the Pokémon was eating some cooked food. Laura dragged Ash to the group.

"Hey girls, I brought a new trainer!" The three Bookkeepers stopped studying the Electabuzz in favor of studying Ash. Ash nervously waved at them. They waved back, and approached Laura and Ash.

"Is he a new trainer?" One of them asked. This woman had her hair set in a bun.

"Yes," Laura answered. "Mira called and informed me that he hasn't obtained six Pokémon, nor did he obtain any badges." The other Bookkeepers looked excited at this news. Ash wasn't too surprised when he heard that Mira called Laura.

Ash quickly interrupted them. "What does that have to do with me being here?" He questioned. He didn't think that they would want any inexperienced trainer to do anything for them, and he assumed that they wanted something. People rarely get so excited when they help strangers.

"It depends. Are you satisfied with the lab where you would deposit your extra Pokémon?" A different Bookkeeper asked. This woman had eyes with different colors. Heterochromia, Ash realized. He almost forgot to answer the question.

"No," Ash answered. He didn't want Oak anywhere near his Pokémon.

"Perfect! Can we see your Pokédex then?" The same Bookkeeper asked.

Ash handed the Bookkeeper his Pokédex. All four Bookkeepers began to examine the Pokédex. The more they examined it, the more frustration Ash could read on their faces.

"This Pokédex is trash." Laura finally said. "It's completely out of date in every possible function. What was Professor Oak thinking? Sending a new trainer off with outdated information can get him killed. This information has been outdated for more than a decade."

This threw Ash for a loop. Is Oak really so shallow as to endanger him by using his profession?

"Then it's settled, we will take over his role as your lab. All extra Pokémon will be sent to us instead of Oak. However, in order to take care of any expensive Pokémon, you would have to do some work for us," Laura offered.

Ash can figure what she meant by expensive, as a horde of large Pokémon would ruin any facility.

"So will I get a new Pokédex?"

"Without a doubt. It would be irresponsible of us to let you go without good information."

"Awesome, but I would like to know what this work entails," Ash countered. He couldn't go completely out of his way to do the work. Ash needed the majority of his time to train his Pokémon. With only two Pokémon and an egg, He needs all the time he has to catch up to at least Gary's level.

"Simple. Whenever you send your Pokémon to us, we will study and record its habits, personality, diet and other information we can gleam from it. That's the tradeoff for keeping any Pokémon at our lab, but in order to keep any expensive Pokémon, we may ask you to research a certain Pokémon in its natural habitat. Unlike Professor Oak, we don't have a large enough natural reserve to completely simulate a natural environment for all the Pokémon, and we don't let any trainer's Pokémon mingle with another trainer's without explicit permission. This is to prevent any potential problems." One of the Bookkeepers explained.

Ash mentally frowned. Researching a Pokémon in its natural habitat is definitely time-consuming. "I thought you had to be a researcher to contribute any information."

Laura smiled at Ash's response. "I see why Mira sent you to us. You definitely have a head on your shoulders. Seeing as how we are done here, let's move back to the lobby. I will answer your question on the way there.

As they moved to the lobby, Laura started to inform Ash of the reason why Mira told Ash to bring his books. Apparently, researchers do not usually go to a school to learn. Just like trainers, researchers learn while on a journey. All researchers study a certain number of relevant books, and it's at the Library's sole discretion to award that researcher the rank of a Professor. Generally, twenty extra books are required to be read along with ten specific books that all aspiring researchers have to read. After reading a book, a test is given to determine how much information the reader actually retained, and after all thirty books are read, a Librarian is specially picked to design a test based on the thirty books that are read, with emphasis on the twenty books that the student picked. All students are allowed to contribute to any researcher's work.

Basically, since Ash had read the book on egg care, he can now help with the Librarians' research.

But Laura wasn't quite finished, "If you decide to become a Professor, the ten specific books you need to read will cover the care of different types of Pokémon and their eggs. The other twenty books are more about determining your first field of research."

"So I can basically become a Professor and a successful trainer? I'm not so sure I can manage to read the twenty extra books on top of all training I have to do."

"But that's where it gets _really_ good," Laura grinned, "the twenty books you pick can help the Pokémon you are training. For instance, there are two books that can essentially show how to cook a meal that can really boost your Meowth's strength when both are applied together. One of the books details how certain nutrients affect certain Pokémon and which food has those nutrients. While the other book contains a list of food that certain Pokémon can eat and where it can be found. The books cite each other, and when applied, meals can be designed to be both nutritious and delicious. Basically, we won't stop you from training your Pokémon."

"That sounds too good to be true," Ash bluntly stated. It wouldn't do to be caught unaware of any schemes.

"Well we get research material, so it's all good."

Ash decided to go along with their plan. This deal seemed very beneficial, with very little drawbacks. He had no reason to refuse their offer.

"Well, I have no real reasons to say no…"

"Great! Let me just grab a new Pokédex for you."

Laura left and quickly brought back his new Pokédex. Afterwards, she directed Ash to the books on raising new Pokémon, as per his request. Ash soon left the library, happy with what transpired.

With nothing left to do in Viridian, Ash left for Pewter city with Yzma by his side, with Ezra choosing to remain in her Pokéball. The gym in Pewter city was the closest gym besides the Viridian gym and perhaps the easiest. However, Ash had heard rumors at the Pokémon center that Brock, the current gym leader, had begun to cruelly demolish new trainers. Ash would need all the preparation needed in order to win the battle.

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Two hours after walking from Viridian and entering Viridian Forest, Ash and Meowth stopped to make a camp, and Ash released Eevee from her Pokéball.

"Alright then, this will be our first day actually training." Ash stated seriously. Ezra nodded with what Ash assumed to be a determined expression. Yzma suddenly became excited, and she stood and started running and dancing around the clearing they found. Ash chuckled at his Meowth's enthusiasm.

"Okay, I want you both to work on your speed. Not only will you be able to maneuver around your opponent's attacks, but it will also help in our bounty hunting. I'm certain that many Pokémon will try to run away from us, so I want you to become fast enough to chase them down and stop them long enough for others to catch up. I think it will be great if we also worked on your stamina. I don't want you to exhaust yourself from just chasing them."

Ash walked to the center of the clearing, near a large rock. Reaching into his bag, Ash placed his Pokédex on the rock and used on of its many features to set a timer. "You will run around the clearing for as long as you can, and whenever you hear the timer, sprint as fast as you can. I set the timer to alternately ring between every three minutes for your normal pace, and every minute for your sprints."

Ash pointed the trail that they will run along. It was a large circle around the rock. "Now start," Ash commanded. He started the timer as Yzma started a leisurely pace around the field. Ezra started at a much faster pace than Yzma, but Ash slowed her down so she wouldn't exhaust herself as fast.

While they trained, Ash quickly scanned the field for two small logs. He intended to use them both in power, with Ezra tackling one of them while Yzma scratching at the other. Afterwards, Ash decided that he wanted to keep up with his Pokémon. If a hunt runs away and his Pokémon chased after it, Ash would need to keep up with them as much as possible. Most Pokémon can easily outrun a human, but Ash would need to catch up as soon as possible if their target decided to run with his Pokémon on its heels.

After stretching a bit, Ash lined up with his Pokémon and started training with them.

Every hour, Ash and his Pokémon will relax on the grass for half an hour. Then they would continue running again. This cycle continued for most of the day, and Ash stopped the speed training when the sun began to set. After taking a few minutes to rest, Ash called his Pokémon over.

"Now, next we will train your power. All the speed in the world wouldn't help if we can't do any damage. "Ash showed his two Pokémon the two logs. " Ezra, I want you to tackle your log as hard as you can, and Yzma, I want you to make the deepest scratches you can in your log. We will stop training when you can't go on any longer." Ash set up the two logs to be used.

Ezra ran at her log with all the speed her sore body can give, and a loud smack tore through the clearing as her body collided with the log. With how much energy his Eevee put into the charge, Ash expected Ezra's log to be knocked back a fair bit, though he figured it was heavier than it looked. Ash set the log back up again.

Ash turned to see Yzma leaving light lines on her log, and log was heavy enough to not fall over. Ash turned back to Ezra to see the log had fallen over again. It was apparent that the tackle's blunt force will knock over the log as opposed to Yzma's quick scratch attacks, so Ash focused a bit more on Ezra to raise her log whenever she knocked it down.

They continued this exercise until night settled, and both of Ash's Pokémon were sore all over their bodies. Ash cooked food for them with the equipment in his bag, making sure it tasted as good as possible. His Pokémon deserved it for all the effort they put in today. After feeding them, Ash left the food cooking in order to get his own exercise in. He did as many, sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches as he could, and then ate the remaining food that he had cooked.

Ash slid into a sleeping bag and his Pokémon joined him. Together, they fell asleep under the night sky.

Page Break

At daybreak, Ash repeated the routine him and his Pokémon started yesterday, and after eating, Ash packed his camping equipment and decided to continue his journey. The same routine repeated for the next two days, until Ash saw a marked improvement both his Pokémon. With this realization, Ash increased the workout regime. Instead of just running around in circles, He added a few obstacles in the path. A log was laid in the path for them to jump over, and two large objects would be placed for him and his Pokémon to dodge around with a quick dash. Ash hoped to increase their dodging ability with these changes. It was rather convenient that the additions would also require more effort, so it further enhanced the stamina and the speed aspects of the training. Ash found that sprinting through the obstacles was much tougher than imagined.

After consulting his book on how to train new Pokémon, Ash learned that cat Pokémon like Yzma regrow denser, stronger claws every time they chip and break, and that broken claws don't cause too much pain to the Pokémon. No one knows why this happens, but researchers have noted an increase in density between different Meowth's that had started with similar claws. With this knowledge, he decided to find logs that rotted a little less than the previous logs for Yzma to use for her strength training. The logs were tougher, and whenever she broke a claw, Ash stopped her training for the day. Thankfully it only takes a day for her to regrow her claws.

For Ezra, he had to find and haul larger logs for her to tackle. This often took quite a bit of time, but seeing her tackle larger and larger logs put a smile on her trainer's face.

For Ash himself, he saw no visible difference in the last few days. This was expected, since humans didn't grow stronger like Pokémon did. Pokémon can grow stronger in a matter of days, but humans take weeks to see any visible difference in their performance. He did feel lighter though.

At nights, He would stay up a little later than his Pokémon. Ash would always imagine the face of his mother in the clouds above. Though the grief of her death faded a little, Ash still felt as if a piece of his soul was torn away. He felt tired, and only the thought of living for himself, his Pokémon, and his mother kept him going. He knew his mother would want the best for him, and he resolved to make something of himself. For the sake of his mother's memory, Ash resolved to be the best he could.

After eight days of training in Viridian Forest, Ash decided to test his Pokémon against the local wild Pokémon. He passed all of the nearby weak bug Pokémon and found a Pidgey. The Pidgey was eating some berries it found, but it soon noticed Ash and took an offensive stance.

"Yzma, you're up!" Ash threw Yzma's Pokéball out and Yzma appeared in a similar stance. She looked ready to hunt again.

"Yzma, use scratch," Yzma went to do as commanded, but the Pidgey quickly took to the air. It was now at a safe distance from Yzma, and it soon started flapping its wings very hard. Ash realized what it was doing.

"Back away from it, it's going to use gust. Dodge like how we practiced"

Yzma quickly ran around the bursts of wind, but that was all she could do from the ground. The Pidgey constantly remained too far above her. She wouldn't be able to reach it. Ash looked around for a way to bring down the bird. He only spotted the trees around the forest and some vines. He turned back to Yzma to see her constantly dodging the attacks, but she was tiring, while the Pidgey was also tiring, but the Pidgey was certainly not tiring as fast as Yzma was.

Ash frantically looked around for an advantage, but he was only seeing more trees.

…maybe that could work.

"Quickly! Jump off the trees to get higher!"

Yzma ran at the nearest tree and ran up the trunk. She rapidly kicked off of the tree and leapt towards the Pidgey. The Pidgey steered away from the Meowth. The bird Pokémon flapped even harder to get more altitude, and Meowth sailed under the Pidgey and slid along the hard ground. Undeterred by the results, Meowth quickly ran up a different tree.

She repeated this for a while, getting closer and closer to landing a blow on the bird, until finally she clipped its wing. The Pidgey fell from the sky and tumbled. Yzma landed and quickly swiped at her opponent's head, and the Pidgey was defeated. It no longer had the energy to fly from all of the gusts it was using. Satisfied with the win, Ash checked Yzma for any injuries. When he found none, they both walked to the camp to celebrate another win.

The next three days were spent battling against some of the stronger Pokémon in Viridian Forest. Yzma and Ezra both grew in strength from all the battles. Yzma could now leave light scratches on rocks, and Ezra could push down small boulder. They were both much faster than they were before. Ash knew that he needed to train his Pokémon some more before challenging the rock gym leader.

Ten days after leaving Viridian, Ash finally reached Pewter city.

* * *

Now here it is. The third chapter of my story is done. I do hope you enjoyed it. Have a nice day. Reviews on how to make my writing better are always appreciated.


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